Blue Jackets return to scene of former coach's last stand

DENVER - Nobody in the Blue Jackets organization, save for the new coaching staff, needs to be reminded how its last trip to Colorado ended.

DENVER - Nobody in the Blue Jackets organization, save for the new coaching staff, needs to be reminded how its last trip to Colorado ended.

The Avalanche beat the Jackets 5-1 on Feb.2 in a game that showcased the youth movement of Colorado and the arrested development of Columbus. Jake Voracek and Derick Brassard were a combined minus-8, and Ryan O'Reilly, Brandon Yip and T.J. Galiardi of the Avalanche teamed up for four goals and four assists.

On a somber flight home, Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson thought seriously about a decision that he and others made the following day - to fire coach Ken Hitchcock.

"You saw how great their young guys were playing and you sat and wondered, 'Why aren't our young guys playing like this?'" Howson said.

The Blue Jackets return to Denver tonight riding a three-game winning streak and with their youngsters feeling better about their games.

Some of Hitchcock's concerns - getting young, skilled forwards to play in straight lines and compete consistently for pucks - have been inherited by new coach Scott Arniel. Around the league, there remain doubts about the likes of goaltender Steve Mason and forwards Brassard, Voracek and Nikita Filatov.

Howson, however, sees reasons for optimism even as a substantial chunk of the Blue Jackets' early success has been due to the play of veterans and grinders.

"Last season was probably a step back for all of them, but they are progressing this year, and growing," Howson said. "There is still a lot of work to be done, but they are showing signs of the growth curve that we were hoping for."

• Mason, 22, has exhibited the most improvement, as evidenced by recent wins over Chicago and Edmonton. Except for a rough outing against Calgary, Mason has been steady in net. He's challenging shooters and making saves with games on the line, as he did in his rookie season.

• Linemates Brassard, 23, and Voracek, 21, are finding a groove alongside four-time All-Star Rick Nash after a slow start. They have combined for two goals and two assists in the past three games.

Voracek is still looking for his first goal, but the skid is nowhere close to his 26-game drought last season that stretched from Dec. 15 to Feb. 10.

• Filatov, 20, who returned to Russia last November in a dispute over playing time, has taken a mature approach to being demoted to the fourth line and having his minutes slashed. Arniel has witnessed a more competitive left winger in recent games and Thursday bumped up his ice time to eight-plus minutes.

Filatov delivered the clinching goal in the shootout, part of a 3-2 win over Edmonton.

"Hitch being let go after that game last season was a real eye-opener," Mason said. "Guys started to put the effort in that was needed, and we slowly got the results. Today, I think everyone is happy with the way things are headed."

Brassard said players are developing a trust in Arniel and his staff. One of the criticisms of Hitchcock, who led the Jackets to their only playoff appearance in 2009, was a disconnect with young players and his penchant for mixed messages.

"They aren't telling us 100 things to get better," Brassard said. "They are sticking with a few main points, and they are helping us succeed."

The youngsters are looking to make amends for their last trip to Colorado.

"Everything went wrong that night," Brassard said. "It was just the worst feeling."

treed@dispatch.com

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